Project Summary Core B ? Developmental Core The CWRU/UH CFAR Developmental Core stimulates innovative investigator-initiated HIV/AIDS- related clinical and basic science research activities. The Developmental Core is the focus for all of the mentoring and training activities of the CFAR. The key program administered by the Core are the award of pilot grants of $50,000 to early-career investigators that are linked to one-on-one mentoring programs designed to enhance our junior faculty's competitiveness for federal grants. Since 2008, the CFAR has invested $1,183,068 in its Mentored Scientist Pilot Grants. Our awardees have received $19,423,434 in research funding as a result of their awards or a 16.4-fold return on investment. The Core has continued to expand its mentoring programs by providing both one-on-one mentoring and a series of mentoring workshops targeting CFAR pilot grant applicants/awardees, as well as underrepresented minority researchers. To give just a few examples, in the last funding cycle CFAR junior faculty Drs. Tilton and Ye, who were supported by CFAR pilot awards, each received NIH funding and established strong independent translational research programs that bridge clinical and basic research departments at CWRU, thus providing a value-added component. Our institutionally-supported catalytic fund provides $75,000 seed funding for strategically important multidisciplinary projects in which junior faculty take a leading role. While the pilot awards use NIH funds to support single investigator projects by new investigators, the Catalytic Fund, which exclusively uses institutional funds, supports teams that include outstanding young investigators in a leading role and also include established investigators. In the inaugural year we funded 3 catalytic fund multi-investigator projects, each of which includes a junior investigator in a leadership role. A total commitment of $1.25 M has been made to this program. The specific aims of the Core are as follows: Conduct responsive Pilot Grant and Catalytic Fund programs that accelerate junior faculty development. Identify, mentor, and support the next generations of HIV investigators. Inspire postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates and provide Minority Training Programs. Engage the communities we serve. Train and provide support to HIV/AIDS researchers in the planning and conduct of ethically sound research.